Hurricane
by indeliblememories
Summary: Love always happens at the most inconvenient times. ShanexOC, (slight) DarylxOC. Just something my sister and I are writing for fun XD
1. Chapter 1

Tell it to the Frogs

Felicia's head snapped up at the shrill sound that was growing louder from somewhere in the distance. It sounded like a siren, bouncing around the hills and niches of the valley where they were camped, becoming increasingly louder as it got closer.

Teeth's eyes were narrowed, and the mangy dog had already sat up, prepared to investigate. Felicia watched the dog get up and trot in the direction of the sound, and then lowered her eyes once again to return to the clothes she had been folding. Others were perking up at the noise, those meandering around the camp pausing to listen and touch their weapons warily. Seeing as Felicia's only form of protection was deaf in one ear and had just walked off, however, she didn't really have much in the way of that department.

Eventually the sound of engines began to accompany the wailing alarm, a bright red sports car came zooming into the middle of the camp. People were already flocking to its location, and as a smug-looking Glenn stepped out, Felicia covered her ears and followed suit.

As Dale chastised Glenn and several others approached to address the alarm, another vehicle pulled up, this one a van with several more survivors inside. Morales and Andrea eagerly exited, and Amy stopped probing Glenn for information long enough to see them, before rushing to greet her sister, whom she embraced.

T-Dog and Jackie were who Felicia thought would be the last ones out of the van, but to her surprise, there was another man in the vehicle. Felicia eyed this last one nervously for a moment, the sounds of celebration dimming as she assessed the newcomer. Teeth trotted back in her direction, satisfied that there were no Walkers around, and resumed his stance by the clothes line she was addressing. Felicia, tucking her blonde hair behind her ears, set down the clothes she'd been cleaning and slowly approached the rest of the mob. Morales was explaining the party's encounter with the new guy when the man in question got out of the van, responding to Morales's teasing "Helicopter Boy" remark. He was dressed like a police officer, lanky and somewhat out-of-place looking, and he squinted against the sun as he took in the rest of the survivors. Recognition suddenly appeared on his face, and, turning to see what he was staring at, Felicia noticed Carl and Lori gaping back at the cop.

It was only a moment before the trio was embracing, and Felicia, confused but unsurprised, kept her distance, thinking, _small world._

Her eyes drifted to Shane for a moment, whose expression was difficult to read, a mix of shock, relief, and… something else. That was brief, however, as he grinned when Rick turned to him, the two friends reunited and problems temporarily forgotten. Felicia watched him for a few seconds longer, thinking unwittingly how much better he looked when he was smiling.

"A picture lasts longer," came a voice from behind her. Felicia turned to see Dale, who had managed to navigate the group and locate the background where she was most comfortable.

"Yeah, well," she replied, smiling and crossing her arms, "I don't see any cameras around here."

Dale chuckled. "Good point."

"So, looks like they made it back all right," remarked Felicia. "And we've got another one- that's good, right?"

Dale shook his head. "Merle."

"Oh," Felicia said, brow furrowing as she realized that they were indeed one short. "Shit."

"No huge loss," Dale said plainly.

"Try telling that to Daryl," Felicia countered, a frown already forming on her face.

Dale sighed. "It's always something, right?"

"I try not to think about it." She shielded her eyes from the sun and watched the group ahead slowly disperse.

Ingrid was in a bad mood. That wasn't saying much, considering she was almost always in a foul mood of late. But being excluded from the main campfire wasn't making her feel great about herself. Her mother and sister were huddled across from her, and Ed was slouched in a folding chair nearby.

She was watching the flames dance in the firepit and listening to Rick Grimes recount his prior adventures to the rest of the group. Her crowbar was on the ground beside her, but she was done looking at it- it was ugly. She was no model, either, but at least she had more purpose than just beating brains out (at least, she hoped).

It wasn't long before a miffed-looking Shane approached the family and asked curtly whether Ed would tone down the fire. A brief debate ensued, but her father soon gave in and told Carol to get to it.

"Mom, no. Let me," Ingrid said, hauling herself to her feet and yanking a log out of the flames. Shane stamped out the runaway embers and Ingrid picked up her crowbar, putting it back into the strap at her waist and moving a bit farther away. Now it was cold, however, and she pulled the sleeves of her sweatshirt over her hands in an attempt to stave it off. Running her fingers through her red curls, she pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them, allowing her eyes to grow narrow again.

So there was a new guy. Fun. But hey, she didn't have a problem with it. Every man for himself, wasn't that how the saying went? Every damn man for himself.

"Merle!" Daryl Dixon was back, and already looking for his brother. Wouldn't be long now until the blow-up. Felicia was just hoping she could find cover before the volatile, crossbow-wielding goon found out what had really happened to Merle. Daryl yelled for Merle again, flaunting the bunch of squirrels he'd killed, the rest of the group nervously following.

Teeth growled quietly, but Felicia restrained him. "Not now," she muttered to the hound, placing a hand on his head, to which his eyes crossed as he tried to look at it. She was parked some distance from the scene that was unfolding, continuing with her feminine chores along with Carol, Jackie, and Lori. Ingrid was supposed to be helping, but had sat down and was pulling out chunks of grass.

She had just become absorbed in her activity once again when she looked up to see Daryl in a chokehold and Rick trying to start up a rational conversation about the fate of his brother.

"Oh, god," said Ingrid, standing up and brushing the dirt off her hands. She started in the direction of the escalating incident.

"Where're you going?" demanded Felicia. Ingrid ignored her, picking up her pace and making a b-line for this new excuse to shirk her chores.

The women, namely Andrea, Carol, Jacqui, Ingrid, and Amy, were washing clothes by the river. Ed was sitting some distance away, and Felicia was by the water, giving Teeth some attention. Shane and Lori were having some sort of heated conversation on the other end of the quarry, and the girls were discussing creature comforts they missed from the old world.

"I miss my flatiron," moaned Ingrid, her hair seemingly growing even frizzier as if to spite her.

"I miss my vibrator," Andrea said. There followed a brief pause, before all the girls burst out laughing.

This was compounded when Carol added, "Me too." Ingrid turned red but laughed all the same, making a teasing remark to her mom as the group enjoyed the brief levity.

This was broken, however, when Ed walked over, inquiring as to why they were all laughing. Tension mounted quickly then, and as Andrea prodded the red-faced man about why _he_ wasn't pitching in, the air seemed to crackle with nervous energy. Felicia looked up from petting Teeth, but kept her distance. She was no fan of domestic issues such as this, but she enjoyed having all four limbs attached to her body.

Things escalated quickly, with Ed grabbing at first Ingrid, and then Carol when his daughter pulled away. The women clumped around Carol as the situation got even more out of hand, with Andrea's temper flaring up and Ingrid and Ed fighting over Carol.

Then Shane was there, out of nowhere, and Ed was on the ground, and there was blood flying onto the sand as the former laid into the latter in a fit of rage. Carol was sobbing, and Ingrid was yelling, also on the verge of tears.

It went on and on. Shane had nearly pulverized Ed's face when he finally let up, warning him and letting go, stepping away. Carol and Ingrid rushed to him, Carol in hysterics and Ingrid looking like she was about to throw up.

Felicia stood and, paying no heed to Teeth at the moment, tore off after Shane. "Shane, wait!" she yelled. The cop didn't even respond, just continuing to wipe blood off his hands and storm off in the direction of the camp. Something big had just gone down, and she wasn't sure what.


	2. Chapter 2

Vatos

Jim was digging holes. Dale noticed this first, and was quick to inform the others of their companion's strange behavior. The others were still not back yet after going into the city looking for Merle and the bag of guns. Ingrid and Andrea were debating whether or not they would find him alive. This was just before the crowd gathered to witness Jim's breakdown firsthand.

After the Jim situation had boiled over, Felicia, Teeth following close behind, took the opportunity to track down Shane. "Shane," she tried, following him to the center of the camp.

"What?" he demanded, finally acknowledging her as he stooped to pick up his gun.

"Are you okay?" Felicia asked, wincing as she realized how lame that had sounded.

"What do you mean?" Shane responded, still not making eye contact.

"Well, you just…" Now that she had his attention, she wasn't sure what to say. "I don't know. Looks like something's bothering you."

"I'm fine," Shane snapped. "It's Jim you should be worried about."  
"Yeah, well," Felicia replied dryly, "I'm not worried about Jim."

Shane finally turned to her. "Look," he said, "I get what you're tryin' to do, but just stop."

"But yesterday- I saw you and Lori-"

"I said, drop it," Shane told her. And with that, he spun on his heel and walked briskly away. Now knowing how touchy of a subject this was, Felicia sighed, put a hand on Teeth's head, and headed in the opposite direction.

Ingrid and Sophia were situated in Ed's tent, both looking extremely uncomfortable in the heat, with Ed watching them like some sort of predatory animal. The fact that his face looked like it had been put through a meat grinder was not making the situation any less horrific.

Carol then arrived to announce that she and the girls were going to a fish fry later that day. Sophia quickly followed her out of the tent, and Ed grabbed Ingrid's wrist, telling her to stay there. She contorted out of his grip, taking a step backward and following the others.

Felicia squinted past the fire to get a look at all the attendees just as she was passed a plate of cooked fish. Shane hadn't spoken to her since their prior conversation, but due to Ingrid forcing herself into the circle with Carol and Sophia following bashfully, she was jammed up next to him. She looked at him sheepishly as her hip brushed his, but he did nothing besides tense slightly. Thankfully, in the twilight, it was impossible to see her blushing. Amy announced that she had to pee and left for the RV, giving the group a little more breathing room and easing the tension somewhat. Felicia focused on her fish, giving some of it to Teeth, who snapped it up happily.

Amy emerged from the RV, and suddenly chaos erupted as she was attacked by a walker, a large number of others pouring in. Shane sprang into action, grabbing his gun, and Felicia, heart pounding but unsure what to do, got up and turned in a circle to make sure she wasn't cornered. Though she wasn't, one was rapidly approaching, but luckily Teeth barreled into it, bringing it down before it could get at her. Not wanting to take any further risks, Felicia tore away from the campsite, Teeth following close behind. She dove into a tent, zipping the two of them in rapidly and trying to get her breathing under control as she listened to the pandemonium outside. More footsteps as someone- presumably Rick and the others from the city- entered the camp to aid the rest.

Ingrid wasn't so tactical. Unsure where her mother and sister had gone, she scrambled to her feet and, unthinking, headed in the direction of the vehicles. Anyone with half a brain would have known not to wade right into the oncoming Walkers, but Ingrid couldn't be called the most logical of people. She bashed a Walker ungracefully in the face as she went, but didn't do it right and just ended up making it mad, which led it to come after her.

She had only made it a little farther when her ankle turned and she tripped, sprawling on the ground and getting covered in dirt. Her crowbar went flying out of her grip. She rolled onto her back, coming face-to-face with the Walker. Her eyes widened, her ears rang, and she froze. That was when someone fired a shot clean through its head, and the creature died, falling on top of her. Doing the only thing she could think of, Ingrid pulled the corpse over her body, holding her breath, and played dead. Fighting was happening all around, but all she could do now was take shelter beneath the Walker corpse and hope she could stay camouflaged.

Felicia had torn off in the direction of the RV, and Shane watched her go, emotions playing across his face. He made as if to follow the blonde girl, but then noticed that Ingrid had fallen and moved to help her, shooting the Walker that was towering over her. When he looked for Felicia again, she was nowhere in sight, and he swore before moving to address the next Walker.

That was when he saw that Rick, T-Dog, Glenn, and Daryl had arrived and were pitching in. Merle wasn't with them. But with their help, the survivors were able to fend off the dead.

The next few hours were dark, in more ways than one. Amy was dead. Ed was dead. Andrea was hysterical. This was as Jim realized the true purpose of the holes he'd been digging, and a collective sickness came over the camp.


	3. Chapter 3

Wildfire

Felicia sagged wearily against a tree as she watched the others drag about the camp, still trying to take in what had happened. Glenn and Daryl were arguing over what to do with the corpses when Jacqui announced in a panic that Jim had been bitten. The group dissolved into murmurs and nervousness as Jim repeated, "I'm fine," over and over. At this point, Rick and Shane took it upon themselves to figure out what to do with him, Daryl inserting his one-track, non-negotiable opinion every so often. The conversation lasted until they had decided on going to the CDC.

Carol attacked her husband's corpse with an axe and Ingrid watched, curled up into a quivering ball, the adrenaline having worn off. Shane passed Felicia at one point, their eyes meeting for a brief moment before he continued on, resting his gun on his shoulder. Felicia closed her eyes and leaned down to pet Teeth, exhaling loudly as she surveyed the damage.

That was when Amy finally reanimated, much to her sister's dismay. Everyone looked at the two, unsure how this was going to play out; Shane and Rick grabbed their guns. Luckily, Andrea said something and shot her sister before they could intervene.

After Morales announced to the group that he would not be accompanying them to the CDC, silence enveloped the group as each of them tried to process this new information and plan of action. As Felicia hugged Morales's wife, Miranda, she wondered how far the family would make it before being overtaken by Walkers. In a large group, they had a chance. But a husband, wife, and several kids were hardly a team to be feared. If they were no longer at the top of the food chain, it was time to act like it, and if that meant traveling in packs, so be it. Felicia couldn't articulate any of this to Morales's wife, however. All she managed was a hollow "good luck".

Ingrid, having partially recovered from the shock of the previous night, was leaning against one of the cars, drawing figures in the dirt with her shoe. She had managed to distance herself from the carnage of her parents, and was now wiping furiously at eyes that were wet, partly with dust and partly with frustration. Sophia approached her and silently took her hand.

The group loaded into the vehicles, Felicia following Shane into the jeep, at which he showed little emotion, after realizing there was no room for her anywhere else. She silently climbed into the passenger's seat, Teeth hopping into the back seat and Shane taking the wheel. She felt the need to say something as they started off, but couldn't form anything. There was no way to understand what he was thinking, and though there were numerous things she wanted to tell him, she had the feeling none would elicit a good reaction.

Sophia, Carol, Ingrid, and Carl were in the backseat of the car Rick was driving, with Lori in the passenger's seat. Sophia was sitting in Carol's lap for lack of another seat, and Ingrid was staring at the moving landscape out the window. Carol looked visibly numb, and her daughter looked like she had a combination of a hangover and a bruised tailbone as she fiddled aimlessly with the crowbar in her lap.

They had been driving for some time when suddenly the RV honked, and everyone stopped. It was easy to see that Jim wasn't going to make it to the CDC, given how fast his condition was degrading. It was painful to watch, and even more painful to have to make the decision about what to do with him. When he finally took initiative and elected to stay by a roadside tree, a sense of relief and depression came over the group. They all made sure to acknowledge him in some form before getting back on the road.

Felicia watched in the rearview mirror as the figure of Jim dwindled and vanished, clearing her throat and awkwardly squirming in her seat.

She was attempting to find a comfortable position when Shane let out a deep breath. "Somethin' on your mind?" he asked, not removing his eyes from the road.

Felicia hadn't realized how much she had begun to resemble a toddler on a road trip, and so she settled down, muttering, "nothing" and opting to look out her window. This time, Shane did steal a quick glance at her, one eyebrow raised quizzically. Felicia felt his eyes on her and swallowed hard, letting her head thump against the car door. Her neck was at a strange angle, making her extremely uncomfortable, but in a fit of agitation, continued to thump her head repeatedly against the same spot in an indecipherable pattern.

Shane, getting increasingly irritated, sighed again, and said, his words razor sharp, "is there somethin' on your mind?"

The thumping ceased, and Felicia looked at him, deciding whether or not to respond. She made a noise that sounded something like "mmmf" and set her head on the door once again, closing her eyes. Shane began to sense that she had fallen asleep, as she stayed like that the rest of the way.

All the cars pulled up to the CDC, and Ingrid, yawning loudly, barged out of the car and took the opportunity to stretch her legs. She glanced at the end of the caravan and saw that Felicia was still asleep, with Shane staring skeptically. He nudged her with the butt of his gun, which caused her to snap awake.

Ingrid, gawking at nothing in particular, felt a tugging on her arm and looked down to see Sophia, who had broken away from Carol's vice-like grip. Rick, Carl and Lori exited the car, taking a look around before Rick started toward the entrance to the CDC, the rest of the group following close behind in a tight-knit pack.

What followed was a battle of wills as Rick fought to convince the others that the building was still inhabited. Ingrid fidgeted impatiently. All she wanted to do was lie down and eat junk food, and now this dumbass was yelling at a building. Ed's death still hadn't quite soaked in, but at this point in the apocalypse, deaths didn't really require soaking in, it was all so surreal. Maybe part of her she refused to acknowledge had wanted her father gone. He'd been better, once, when Carol had fallen in love with him, but Ingrid's only memories were ones of booze, bruises, and the occasional sexual remark directed at her or Sophia. Maybe a good night's rest would help this all start to scar over.

The group was just beginning to dissolve when suddenly there was movement from within the building- Rick's pleas had paid off. The group turned to stare as the doors opened and the Center for Disease Control invited them in like a light in the dark.


	4. Chapter 4

TS-19

"Ow!" snapped Ingrid as Jenner jabbed a needle into her skin. "Watch it!" Jenner said nothing, and with a small roll of the eyes, continued his work. After several more complaints, Ingrid got up, rubbing the spot he had taken blood from and stalking away. Andrea was last, and much less whiny. When she got up, almost falling over, Jenner asked if she was all right. Jacqui remarked that they hadn't eaten in days. That was all the put-upon doctor needed.

The group was scarfing down dinner. Felicia sat between T-Dog and Shane, with Teeth flopped over her feet. If Shane found her closeness awkward, he said nothing, focusing on his food. T-Dog was growing increasingly animated with each sip of alcohol, and as he flailed his arms around, she was forced to dodge him. Felicia herself was sipping her wine tentatively, and although technically she was a few months shy of the legal drinking age, she doubted the fuzz were going to come after her any time soon. She snickered at this thought, and Shane's gaze snapped over to her, eyes narrowing slightly. She turned the laugh into a cough and looked down at her food. Shane stared a moment longer before returning his attention elsewhere.

Ingrid had just finished her third glass of wine, which she was chugging haphazardly, and now looked somewhere between nauseous and dead. Carol was reprimanding her, but her remarks fell on deaf ears, so Carol turned her attention back to censoring what Sophia heard. Ingrid swayed back and forth slightly before slumping forward onto one arm, and then all the way onto the table, her head narrowly missing her plate. Daryl snorted, almost all the way through his once-full bottle of vodka and not even seeing the effects yet. Ingrid peered up at him, dazed and annoyed, but couldn't formulate a response. The redneck returned to his belligerent conversation with Glenn, and Ingrid was ignored.

Felicia, someone who enjoyed her privacy even in the apocalypse, had opted to shower after everyone else. After she had finger-combed her damp hair and wrapped a towel around herself, she stole out into the hallway, being as stealthy as she could. Her wet feet squeaked slightly on the linoleum, and the cold air nipped at her skin. She had almost made it to her room, where Teeth was waiting and she could finally get a good night's sleep, when a door opened suddenly, and would have hit her in the face had she not darted back.

An obviously angry and inebriated Shane stormed out, slamming the door behind him with enough force to break bone. He turned in her direction at her sudden intake of breath, and jumped when he saw her, hissing through his teeth. She noticed that there were what appeared to be fresh claw marks slashed across his face. She felt her cheeks heating up when she realized that her sole form of clothing was a towel that now seemed incredibly short, and she tugged at it to get it lower without exposing her chest. "A-are you…?" she let the question die, as the answer was obvious. "Do you…?"

Shane looked ready to kill someone, and he opened his mouth to snap at her, but she finished her question before he could respond. "Do you want help cleaning that?" Felicia finished, pointing one finger in the direction of his face while still trying to keep a hold on her towel.

Shane pressed his lips together, exhaling a surprising amount of air through his nose. He reminded her of a bull about to charge, but surprised her by letting his muscles relax, and turning to lead her down the hallway (to what she presumed was his room). She shuffled behind him, pausing only to snag a big t-shirt from her room, pulling it over herself and letting the towel fall to the floor behind her.

Felicia bit her lip as she dabbed antiseptic onto Shane's wound, feeling as though one wrong move would get her hand ripped off. Shane winced at the pain, but showed no other emotion as he sat rigidly on the sofa. She felt as though she should ask what happened, but then thought better of it, guessing that conversation would lead nowhere good.

Shifting so she was no longer kneeling in front of him, Felicia sat on the couch beside Shane to get a better angle for finishing the cleanup. Shane had said nothing during this whole process, and when she put the cap back on the antiseptic and prepared to leave, muttered, "thanks". Felicia stood a minute in the doorway, unsure what the proper response was, then mumbled, "no problem" before retreating to her room.

That night, before she fell asleep, she found herself thinking about what had caused those scratches. She could only venture a few guesses, however, before the weight of the day crashed down on her and forced her to sleep. Meanwhile, Shane, though preoccupied with thoughts of Lori most of the time, found himself thinking about wet blonde hair and the sting of alcohol just as he was drifting off.

Ingrid scowled into her milk the next morning, finding that it reminded her more of gasoline today than the dairy product it was supposed to be. She felt like she could still taste alcohol in her mouth, and there was a subtle throbbing at the back of her neck. She had complained that the milk "tasted like shit", but was not rewarded with a response, as the majority of her companions recognized that it was no different than any other milk. Her hangover wasn't as bad as Glenn's, though. He was slumped over, remarking that he should never be allowed to drink again, as T-Dog came around and put eggs on everybody's plates.

Ingrid poked at the eggs with her fork, amusing herself at the way they jiggled, but was unable to eat anything, and settled for shifting it around on her plate. She waited for Carol's chastising remark about "wasting food in a time of need", but her mother was occupied helping T-Dog with the rest of the breakfast.

Felicia came into the room next, the sound of Teeth's claws clacking on the floor after her. Her hair was matted and looked as though she had slept on it wet (the price to pay for curly hair) and she sat down at one end of the table, grabbing a piece of toast for herself and a piece for Teeth. She looked like she was thinking about something else, however.

Shane came later, looking like he tasted something nasty and pouring himself some coffee. T-Dog noticed the markings on his face and commented on them, at which Shane replied that he must have done it in his sleep. He met Felicia's eyes briefly as he headed back to the table. She neglected to contribute to the conversation.

After Rick had discussed this a bit more with Shane, Jenner entered the room, at which Dale began his gentle interrogation.

Ingrid was reading a terribly dull book, trying to keep her mind off the image of the infected mind, shot clean through, that had been shown to the entire group on a laboratory screen earlier that day. She was also wondering what "full decontamination" meant, but it sounded ominous enough to keep her from thinking about it too hard. Sophia was on the floor playing solitaire, and Carol was examining something overhead, a frown on her face. Ingrid went back to scanning but not absorbing the text. She then heard some commotion as voices in the hallway began to demand why the air had been shut off. Carol poked her head out of the doorway, Ingrid and Sophia following suit (the former happy to chuck the book over her shoulder).

The group was walking down the hallway, following the doctor, and was eventually led to the main information center. No one was quite sure what was going on, but Jenner had an eerily placid look on his face. Glenn, T-Dog, Shane, and Rick, who had gone into the basement to check the power, returned, and soon everyone was asking questions. It wasn't long before Rick had taken the initiative of asking VI what "full decontamination" meant, and at the answer of an explosion on par with a nuclear blast, the group collectively surged toward the exit, but stopped short when they all slammed shut.

Teeth whined, tail wagging confusedly. Felicia, whose hair was now collected into a ponytail, rested a hand on his head and tried to contain the panic that was threatening to consume her. Everyone was now shouting at Doctor Jenner to open the doors, but he refused. The group was freaking out, Carol grabbing her two daughters and all three whimpering. Rick was apparently trying to absorb the situation, and Felicia couldn't blame him. She swallowed hard, trying not to cry, as she knew it wouldn't help anything. Daryl and Shane took the liberty of attacking the doors with axes, but to no avail. Shane, furious, strode up to Jenner, putting a gun to his head and demanding that he open the door. He was soon after restrained by other group members, Felicia shooting him a look that she hoped he understood.

A collective despair overtook the group. Felicia sank onto the floor, Teeth setting his head on her legs and looking up at her as he sensed their impending doom. Carol was pleading with Jenner to give her daughters a chance, at which he justified his actions by arguing in favor of a quick death.

It was then that Rick made in argument about hope and chances, and it took Felicia a moment to realize that it had affected Jenner in some way. The doctor complied and opened the doors, taking a moment to whisper something to Rick before the group started towards the exit. Jacqui made the announcement that she was staying, as did Andrea. Dale looked horrified and began arguing with her, but Felicia and the others didn't have time to witness this, as they were already sprinting out of the room.

When they reached the front of the building, they tried the doors, which were locked. After attacking the windows with chairs and guns, they realized that they needed something stronger; Carol announced that she had taken a grenade from Rick's uniform when he first arrived, and they used this to escape from the building.

Felicia shooed Teeth in front of her as the group made their way towards the cars, shooting any Walkers in their way. Felicia was lucky enough not to be jumped by any, following Shane to his car, which he yanked her into roughly, but with a visible look of concern showing briefly on his face. They were all ducking down in the cars when Andrea and Dale emerged from the CDC, and everyone shouted at them to seek protection. They did that just before the entire building exploded. After the blast, everyone looked up to witness the destruction. As devastating as it was, it was still awe-inspiring. Felicia stole a glance at Shane, who was busy assessing the CDC. _What are you playing at?_ she wondered, but that was all she could think before turning back to the destruction the group faced.


	5. Chapter 5

What Lies Ahead

The decision was made to head towards Fort Benning, but it wasn't long before the group was hindered again by the breakdown of Dale's RV. They stopped to look around, Andrea and Dale entering an argument and Glenn helping in the attempts to repair the RV.

Felicia got out of Shane's jeep, stretching her legs and allowing Teeth to do the same before he began running circles around his master, obviously no longer afraid.

Shane got out as well, and Felicia followed tentatively while he sought supplies. He located a truck full of water and became visibly excited, shouting and grinning at Felicia. He unplugged one of the water containers, allowing it to spill all over his head. He playfully flicked some water at Felicia, who smiled to see that, at least in this moment, the black cloud over his head seemed to be gone.

It was then that Rick approached and frantically whispered for them to find shelter- there was a herd of Walkers headed their way. The lightheartedness of a moment before disappeared and Shane scampered under a car, his expression back to a combination of stress and determination. Felicia ducked down and rolled beneath a pickup truck, motioning at Teeth to follow her. The dog, sensing danger, did as she wanted, crawling on his belly to sit a few feet away from her.

Heart pounding in her ears, Ingrid darted under a car some distance away from Carol and Lori, who were under one together. Carl was nearby, as was Sophia, who had taken shelter with her doll. Ingrid's eyes were as big as dinner plates and she gripped the crowbar that still hadn't gotten rid of, making eye contact with Sophia and then her mother.

Felicia was clinging to Teeth, eyes darting from where Shane was clutching his gun and not looking at her, to where the others were. Her heart, which had dropped to her stomach when she realized there were Walkers, now dropped to her feet as she realized that T-Dog was nursing an arm wound that was gushing blood. She was tempted to see if she could help him, but that was when the first of the Walkers began shuffling past, and it was all she could do not to let her breathing get out of control. She buried her face in Teeth's fur, listening to his insides (far less disgusting than those that were falling out of the Walkers) and trying to keep her mind blank.

Ingrid kept her gaze glued to the tire next to her face, trying to focus on the rubber patterns more than the decomposing feet stumbling blindly past the car where she was hidden. She caught a glimpse of Daryl assisting T-Dog and covering the two of them in corpses as Walkers stumbled directly around them. It seemed like a million years before the crowd of Walkers began to thin. Ingrid was beginning to relax when she heard a yelp from Sophia's direction. She gasped when she saw a Walker investigating her little sister's hiding place, at which Sophia was smart enough to scoot in the opposite direction. When the Walker had actually began reaching for her, Sophia scrambled out from under the car and onto the side of the road.

All but two Walkers had moved on, but these two both locked onto the little girl the moment she was out from under the car. Ingrid looked frantically at Carol, who Lori was restraining, and slid towards the other side of the car, almost ready to grab her crowbar and attack the remaining Walkers. Almost. Even as she watched her sister race down with the Walkers in hot pursuit, she couldn't bring herself to move from the safety of the vehicle.

As soon as the Walkers around Rick were clear, he slid out from under his car and took off after Sophia. The rest of the group got up, Carol now practically in hysterics and Lori trying to calm her down. Ingrid darted to her mother, grabbing her by the wrist and doing what little she could to soothe her.

Felicia squirmed out from under the truck, helping Teeth free himself as well. Shane was already out from under his car, and was moving to reunite with the rest of the group. Felicia followed slowly behind him, still wondering what had happened. It didn't take long for her to figure it out, however, as the group began discussing what had just happened.

Some time later, Rick returned without Sophia. The sun was starting to set by now, and as he rapidly explained what had happened, Carol was in full hysterics. Rick promised that the next morning he would go out and continue the search for the missing girl, and Felicia bit her lip as she retreated towards one of the cars. Even though she knew she should be worried about Sophia, she felt more awkward about sharing the Jeep with Shane, and opted to find a car of her own. This didn't take long, and once she had removed the corpse from the driver's seat of a convertible, she was able to recline, Teeth sitting next to her, and drift into an uneasy slumber.

The next morning, everyone but T-Dog (who was still nursing an extremely unpleasant-looking wound) and Dale left to continue the search. Felicia accompanied the others as they headed into the forest, Teeth following uneasily. When they came to a tent, Carol began quietly saying Sophia's name, trying to elicit a response.

Growing impatient, Ingrid said, much too loudly, "Sophia! Sophia, are you-"

"Shut up!" Daryl snapped as he approached the tent and unzipped it. That actually worked, as Ingrid suddenly found a blade of grass stuck to her shoe much more interesting than what was going on in front of her.

There was no Sophia in the tent; rather, a decaying corpse with an expression of twisted satisfaction on its half-rotten face.

The tolling of a church bell drew the group to a small chapel next. Felicia was excited until it was discovered that this was an automated sound (after entering the church and encountering several Walkers). Felicia was standing in the back while Carol and Ingrid sat in one of the pews. Nature called and Teeth retreated to take a piss. She followed him outside but stopped when she overheard the last of a conversation between Shane and Andrea. She rounded a corner and practically bumped into Shane as he was attempting to do the same. She crossed her arms defiantly and asked, "What was that about?"

"Nothing," Shane replied gruffly, sidestepping her and continuing on his path.

She turned and followed him, stating, "If you're planning something, you should probably-"

"I'm not," Shane snapped, turning just enough to respond to her probing. "You oghtta be looking for Sophia," he advised.

Felicia searched for something to say in response, but eventually just exhaled loudly and went to look for Teeth, who had finished urinating and was now looking for her at the same time.

Shane, happy to have gotten away from Felicia, whose presence was unnerving him slightly, had teamed up with Rick and Carl to search a bit more. That was when they saw a deer, Rick and Shane exchanging glances as Carl slowly approached it. Shane's mind had just started to wander when the sound of a gunshot pierced the air, and Carl and his animal friend fell to the ground.


	6. Chapter 6

Bloodletting

Lori's ears perked up at the sound of a gunshot in the distance, as did everyone else's. She worriedly began asking questions about the source, at which the others tried to calm her down. This was around the same Carol was talking with Andrea, worrying aloud about Sophia. Ingrid was trailing behind Daryl, who interceded and snapped at Andrea and Carol, stating firmly that they would find the missing girl. Ingrid gave him a look that was a combination of incredulousness and admiration; even she had to respect his determination.

The search continued for some time, with the group occasionally breaking up but always reconvening before very long. Felicia was walking beside Lori, noticing that the latter was looking visibly tenser after having heard the gunshot. Teeth was trotting a few yards ahead, acting as a surrogate scout. Ingrid, still following Daryl, started at a sound to her right, stumbling right into him. He gave her an annoyed look and shoved her aside before continuing on his way, with Ingrid looking around cautiously and doing the same.

The next bit of excitement came when Andrea was attacked by a Walker. By the time the group heard her screams and raced to address the problem, a young woman on a horse had already stormed into the clearing, taking out the creature with a baseball bat before hurriedly informing Lori that Carl had been shot.

Panicked, Felicia followed as the rest of the group headed back toward the highway, all except for Lori, who had disappeared with the mystery baseball bat-wielding cowgirl. Once they had made it back to the cluster of cars, it was a few minutes before they had everything straightened out between them, Dale, and T-Dog. After some debate, they decided to send Glenn after the farm group and stick around the RV until they had a clearer sense of what was going on.

After Daryl saved the day with his brother's much-needed stash of illegal drugs, the group settled down uneasily in preparation for what lay ahead. Felicia, deciding that Shane probably wouldn't be back for a while, commandeered the Jeep and, using Teeth's belly as a pillow, allowed herself to rest. She couldn't help the sick feeling that settled into her abdomen.


	7. Chapter 7

Save the Last One

Daryl, feeling like he was drowning in a sea of estrogen, was quiet as he got up off the floor, grabbing his crossbow and preparing to continue the search for Sophia. The stealth he had learned from his years of hunting seemed to apply to hormonal women as well as animals. He took note of Carol sleeping fretfully in the next room of the RV before feeling eyes on him and turning to see Ingrid sitting cross-legged on the floor in the corner. She was wearing nothing but an oversized hoodie and shorts, and was indiscreetly shoveling handfuls of cereal into her mouth, directly out of the box. Daryl glared at her, at which she swallowed hard and scooted backward a couple inches, a defiant but obviously nervous expression on her face.

He and Andrea left the RV, leaving the rest of its occupants to their own business.


	8. Chapter 8

Cherokee Rose

Felicia pinched the bridge of her nose as the group slowly began to dissipate from Otis's funeral, thoughts whirling around in her head. She knew she was supposed to be mourning the loss of a person, not trying to sort out her feelings, most of which centered around one person. But she hadn't known Otis. She had known Shane. And she was beginning to feel something she didn't like whenever she thought of the muscular, dark-haired cop.

Well, he wasn't dark-haired anymore. The first thing she'd noticed when they were reunited was that Shane had shaved his head. He had been completely aloof during the funeral, and Felicia had seen Dale's expression as he listened to Shane recount the previous night's events. The older man was putting something unpleasant together, and Felicia wasn't sure she wanted to know what it was. Shane was different now, if that was even possible. And she was pretty sure that he wouldn't have become his own barber during the apocalypse unless he had a damn good reason.

The blonde-haired young woman caught up to him as he limped away from the rest of the group, boldly grabbing him by the wrist. He became visibly more tense, and turned to look at her. She took it as a good sign that he didn't pry his hand free.

"What?" he said brusquely.

"I…" Felicia searched for words. Damn it, why was it so hard to talk to him? Yes, he was an intense presence. But every time she found herself actually talking to him he just unnerved all preparation right out of her. "I just… You seem… Look, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Shane replied, a slight edge in his voice. "Why?"

"You were there when Otis died," Felicia said.

"I thought we'd already established that," Shane remarked, removing his wrist from her grasp. He did it with a conscious gentleness, however, which contrasted sharply with his attitude. He began to head back in the direction he'd been going, with Felicia following him persistently.

"I just want to know if there's a problem," Felicia told him truthfully. "I… Look, Shane, I know we're not… Well, we're not the closest. But I know more about you than you think." That got his attention. He turned to her again, stopping and looking right at her, his expression unreadable. Felicia put her hands up defensively. "I'm not threatening you," she hastened to explain. "I just… Dammit. Look, just let me know if you want to talk, okay?" That was all she could manage before turning on her heel and speed-walking away. She stole a glance back to see Shane looking after her curiously.

She nearly crashed into Dale on her way to her tent. He had been walking the same way she had been, and he stated perceptively, "Guess I'm not the only confused one around here." Felicia tilted her head slightly, not understanding. Dale gestured at the way she'd come, where Shane was still headed. "You were talking to Shane," he observed.

"Yeah," Felicia confirmed, falling into step next to him.

"I don't expect you got him to open up much," Dale said dryly.

"I'm working on it," Felicia replied, and then wished she hadn't.

Dale turned to look at her. "You might wanna rethink that," he told her firmly.

"Huh?"

"Come on, Felicia," Dale said. "I've seen enough of this to know what's going on."

"Oh, really?" Felicia stopped, folding her arms defiantly.

Dale nodded. "I'm just starting to think you picked the wrong guy, that's all."

"What?" demanded Felicia, face heating up. "What? Dale, what? Why would you…? It's not like that! I don't like him. I was just… You… Why am I even…? I _hate_ him!"

The corner of Dale's mouth twitched in amusement. "There's a fine line between hate and love," he remarked casually, beginning to walk again. "Just be careful, Felicia. There's something he's holding back."

"I…" Felicia sighed heavily. "Thanks, Dad," she said sarcastically.

Dale chuckled but said nothing. Felicia, embarrassed and even more puzzled, retreated the rest of the way to her tent without incident, where she cocooned herself in a sleeping bag in an attempt to nap away the problems.

Ingrid had been feeling awkward enough already, given the circumstances, and the fact that Daryl Dixon had tried clumsily to cheer her up in his own gruff way wasn't helping. First a flower for Carol; and now he was actually trying to console her.

"She's out there," he'd muttered. The two of them were leaving the RV, Ingrid having just watched an interesting exchange between him and her mother and learned the story of the Cherokee Rose.

Ingrid had looked up at him. "Why do you care?" she had asked, against her better judgment. "She's not your problem."

Daryl glared at her scathingly, but didn't answer her question. Instead: "Just don't get in my way. I'm better at this than you."

To which Ingrid had responded quietly, "I'm glad you care. Even if she's not your problem."

Daryl had stopped, looking at her analytically. Finally he gave her one last sentence-"We're gonna get your sister back"- and walked away, not looking back. After this brief encounter, Ingrid found herself pacing the camp uneasily, feeling warm and slightly annoyed. She needed a cold shower. Too bad the world had come to an end. She paused outside the RV, staring at her ragged nails as if they would grow back if she concentrated hard enough. _You're s'posed to be thinking about Sophia,_ she warned herself. _That's what the flower was about. Sophia. Sophia, not Daryl. Not Daryl, not Daryl, not Daryl. Come on, focus. Get your head out of the gutter. _Not liking where this train of thought was headed, she shook herself and made for the outskirts of the camp. Bored, she made the mistake of investigating the commotion at the well. A cluster of people was surrounding it, and a guttural moaning she'd come to know too well was coming from deep in the pit.

There was a Walker at the bottom of the well, bloated and saturated from the water. It resembled a giant baby, and Ingrid might have laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation had Glenn not been dangling down there with it. Felicia had risen at some point in the last hour, and was helping hold the rope he was attached precariously to.

"You wanna give us a hand, or just stand there?" the blonde demanded.

Ingrid frowned, but then shrugged and took part of the rope. It wasn't long before they were hauling the whole damn giant baby out of the well. Everything seemed to be going fine until the Walker split in half.

This caused Ingrid to throw up her breakfast, and although one of the passing farm hands gave her a disgusted look, she was glad that at least a certain hunter hadn't seen it happen.

Felicia groaned, letting go of her section of rope and taking a step back, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. Teeth had somehow found his way over to the disgusted group, and Felicia had to put a hand on his back to keep him from going forward. Glenn, somehow oddly composed, nudged her with his hand. "You can take on Walsh, but not a little blood?" he asked teasingly, grinning. Felicia attacked him playfully, happy for the distraction, while Ingrid, still retching, wanted to crawl under a rock.


	9. Chapter 9

Chupacabra

Felicia wasn't pleased to have been relegated to the kids' table for dinner that night. She would rather have been enjoying herself in the company of the too-perceptive-for-his-own-good Dale and annoyingly stubborn, handsome, and skilled Shane Walsh. But no, she was jammed between Glenn, who was passing notes with his new lover like a twelve-year-old with a crush, and Ingrid, who, after bringing dinner up to the recovering Daryl, was making some sort of art project out of her food. Feeling on edge but unsure why, she addressed the redhead, "Seriously? You're what, nineteen? You're supposed to be _eating_ that."

"I am," argued Ingrid, not looking up from balancing a green bean on top of a mountain of potatoes.

Felicia shook her head, eyes wandering across the room to where the adults were talking. She and Shane hadn't interacted much since arrival at the camp, but she was now feeling paranoid about their last conversation. He had been looking at her… differently now, and she couldn't figure out whether that was good or bad. They had made eye contact on several occasions, and each time she had seen not his typical rough, confrontational stare but instead something softer, contemplative. As if he was considering something. She didn't like it, mostly due to the unfamiliarity, but it might be that he had just taken her offer seriously. She decided she would try talking to him again soon, but given the day's events she doubted she would get the opportunity right away.

_Patience_.


	10. Chapter 10

Secrets

Felicia watched a tense exchange occur between Glenn and Maggie, the former accepting a large basket from the latter (for unknown reasons). He shuffled awkwardly up to Felicia, who was sitting on the ground, searching herself and Teeth for ticks, and offered her a peach. She accepted this gladly, biting into it and ripping a small chunk off for her dog.

Glenn proceeded to offer some to Dale, Rick, and Shane, who were strategizing for the day's activities. There was a nervous expression on his face, and he had been acting twitchy and on edge the entire morning.

Andrea emerged from Daryl's tent later, looking like she had accomplished something to be proud of. Ingrid was walking rigidly around the camp, eyes darting to where Daryl was every few seconds. It was getting obnoxious, but seeing as they were both struggling with the same thing, Felicia couldn't snap at her for it.

Later in the day, Shane gathered up the farm workers, women, and Carl to have them start gun training. Ingrid whined the entire way there, but shut up once she had a rifle in her hands. Not even she could complain about feeling more protected than ever before.

Felicia ran a hand through her hair, getting frustrated at her lack of progress. She had been unable to hit her makeshift target any of the times she tried, even after Shane suggested moving closer. Discarding her used up magazine, she reloaded (not without some difficulty), and aimed again, gripping the stupid gun with both hands this time. She fired, finally getting used to the kick of the weapon. The tin can shifted slightly as the bullet whizzed past it, but otherwise remained unaffected.

"Here," said a voice over her shoulder. She turned to see Shane standing uncomfortably close, moving closer and placing his hand below hers. "Line up your line of sight with the gun," he said, moving so that he could help brace with his other hand. She became very aware of how close he was, and although this didn't exactly qualify as an embrace, she couldn't help feeling a tad panicky. "Deep breath," Shane instructed, not letting go of her hands. Felicia did as she was told, and on the exhale, she pulled the trigger. The top half of the tin can exploded into teeny metal fragments.

"Wow," Felicia breathed, turning her face to his. He didn't change his position, instead looking at her the same way. Heart beating loudly, she felt the rest of the world stop moving as she prepared to lose herself in those complicated dark eyes.

Their lips were practically touching when the moment ended, Shane licking his lips, glancing down, and, as if realizing what had almost happened, cleared his throat. "There you go," he said, releasing his grip on her hands. "You just have to get the feel of the gun," he added, stepping backward.

Felicia already missed the extra support he'd been giving her, but as he turned away, she stopped him with, "Shane?" He turned to look back at her, expression hard again. "Thank you," she said quietly.

Shane, for his part, wasn't feeling any less confused than Felicia as he helped Andrea begin training with a moving target. Burying the heat he'd felt in his gut when he had almost kissed Felicia beneath a stony façade, he worked to get Andrea riled up, shouting at her until she finally gave him a disgusted look and marched off. Realizing that he'd pushed her too far by bringing up her late sister, he followed her in his car, apologizing and offering to take her into the suburbs to look for Sophia.

_What the hell was happening to him?!_ Why was he losing so much self-control lately? First Lori, the married, _not widowed_ mother and group's queen bee, and now Felicia, the insightful city girl who somehow managed to see much farther into him than anyone else. Lori, Felicia. Felicia, Lori. Damn it. Was it possible to love two different people?

But it was different for each woman. There was Lori, the pinnacle of the unobtainable, something attractive only because it was off-limits to him. He thought he had a chance when Rick was in the hospital, a chance to finally rise up to his friend's position after years of comparing himself to Rick. He wanted to be the knowing leader, the dedicated husband, the father… He wanted the group members to look at him the way they looked at Rick.

And then there was Felicia. He hadn't even known her that long, and yet whenever he saw her he felt like his head was going to explode. She had bumped into him at the CDC. She had driven all this way with him. She was the only one in this group who wasn't either demanding something of him or chewing him out for something he'd done. And she understood a lot more than she let on. That was unnerving.

After the mishap with the horde of Walkers in the neighborhood, he found himself having sex with Andrea, of all people. But it wasn't her he imagined touching and kissing in his car in the middle of nowhere.

"I don't need a damn babysitter," Daryl snapped at Ingrid when she entered his tent for the millionth time that day, this time with more antiseptic (which she had "borrowed" from Hershel) for his healing wounds. Each time she left his tent, she found herself thinking of another reason to go back and see him, much to his annoyance.

"But-"

"Haven't ya got anything better to do?" demanded the hunter.

"Actually, no," Ingrid snapped back, sitting on the floor and readying the alcohol-soaked rag she had brought. "Hold still," she commanded, in what she hoped was her most authoritarian voice.

She reached forward to touch him, and he jerked away, something not easily accomplished in this small space. "I said I don't need a-"

"Well, that's too damn bad," Ingrid interrupted, scooting closer, arm still extended. "You're stuck with me, whether you like it or not."

Daryl still tensed up when she began cleaning his wound. "You're s'posed to be lookin' for your sister."  
"I'm not gonna."

"I don't need your help!" Daryl's voice was louder, and this time he got what he wanted.

Ingrid's eyes narrowed. "Fine." She stormed out of the tent, catching Glenn's eye as she emerged. "Stupid, stubborn son of a-"

"You all right?" Glenn asked, approaching her.

"Yeah," answered Ingrid bitterly, stopping so she could stretch. "But I think Daryl wants to kill me."

"I know how you feel," Glenn responded. Ingrid gave him a questioning look, at which he looked around frantically, backpedaling and giving a stilted excuse, and hurried off. Ingrid took a moment to wonder what had gotten into him, but she could only keep her temper at bay for so long before her thoughts returned to Daryl. Kicking at the grass and dirt beneath her feet, she marched off toward her own tent. Served her right for thinking she could get through that barbed wire outer shell. But she knew better than to push it with Daryl.

And besides, he really had looked like he wanted to kill her.


	11. Chapter 11

Pretty Much Dead Already

Felicia wanted to crawl under a rock and die. Walkers? In the barn?! As the other group members squabbled over this new development, Shane demanding action while Rick trying to coax him into going with the Greenes' ideas of humanity, Felicia slumped lower and lower, the bark of the tree she was leaning against scraping painfully against her back. Glenn looked like he was going to throw up, and Ingrid was looking from Daryl to Carol uneasily. Things only seemed to be escalating, with Daryl infuriated at Shane's suggestion that Sophia was already done for. The discussion ended with a tense agreement between Shane and Rick that something had to be done, and the group broke up, with Rick setting out to get Hershel's permission and Daryl off to continue searching, Ingrid following timidly.

Felicia caught Shane's eye as he passed her, but said nothing. If there were Walkers in the barn, they had to be gotten rid of. But that wasn't their decision to make. They had taken advantage of this group's hospitality, and it was clear that they had long overstayed their welcome. They were walking on eggshells as it was; they didn't need a massacre tainting their reputation any more. She was unable to communicate this to Shane, however; he was hell-bent on removing the walking corpses from the farm, whatever the cost.

Ingrid pursued Daryl fruitlessly as he readied himself for another search, pleading with him to stay, which he steadfastly refused to do. Growing frustrated, she ended up leaving the stables in a huff (something she was good at) and retreating to her and Carol's tent, where the Cherokee Roses Daryl had given them were waiting. She was torn between ripping the flower to shreds and making it her new best friend, but the gesture had given hope to Carol, which was enough to give her pause.

Felicia watched the conversation between Rick and Shane from a distance, space and air carrying the words away. Rick walked away, leaving his friend with an expression of shock and disturbance on his face, and Felicia could only wonder what had been said to make him lose his cool. She debated about whether to talk to him, and against her better judgment, ended up heading over to where he was standing, looking nauseated.

"How come you always show up when I've got a lot on my mind?" he demanded, running a hand over his shaved head.

Felicia shrugged. "It's a gift. So there is something wrong," she added after a pause, crossing her arms.

"There's always somethin' wrong," Shane muttered. "And no, I don't want to talk about it."

"Hey, fine by me," Felicia replied, not skipping a beat. "My offer's still good." Thinking she had said the right amount, she nodded to him, jamming her hands in her pockets, and left him to his own thoughts. Regardless of the subject, it would come out eventually.

The sense of calm (albeit unsettled calm) didn't last long. Rick was helping Hershel bring back some "people" who had been stuck in the mud in the woods when Shane blew a gasket. Things picked up speed after that, with others emerging from the farmhouse and Shane passing out guns to everyone who would take them. Ingrid, apparently having gotten over whatever she was mad at Daryl about, was standing behind Carol, watching as Shane began to attack the door to the barn with a pickaxe.

Felicia, feeling sick with worry, cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled for Shane. He didn't listen. Shaking her head, she darted up to him, Teeth in tow, and grabbed his arm. This made him stop, and he turned to her. "Shane, don't," she said, breathing hard. "This is a mistake."

Shane shook his head. "Get a gun, Felicia," he told her. "Or get outta my way. This ends here."

"Shane-" He ignored her, resuming his attack of the barn door. Felicia took a couple precautionary steps back, not liking where this was going. Teeth began circling around her anxiously, as he often did when he sensed danger. But it didn't take canine senses to see the borderline insanity in Shane's face.

When he had successfully busted the lock on the barn door, Shane hit it a few times to get the Walkers riled up before stepping back and readying his gun. The first few Walkers emerged from the barn, and time seemed to slow down considerably, even though the massacre only lasted thirty seconds or so. One by one, Walkers stumbled out before falling to the ground (one of them taken down by none other than Teeth himself). Hershel was collapsed on the ground by one of the leashed Walkers that Shane had shot. The slaughter continued until it seemed as if all the Walkers had been dispatched.

Then Sophia emerged. Everyone was silent, except for Carol and Ingrid, who both became hysterical in a matter of seconds. No one moved, unable to muster the gumption to kill the putrefied child who was stumbling towards them. This all seemed incredibly surreal to Felicia, that the girl they had spent so much time and energy searching for had been here for an indefinite amount of time.

Finally, Rick took the initiative, stepping forward and aiming his gun before shooting Sophia in the head. She fell.


	12. Chapter 12

Nebraska

Things began moving rapidly again, with Hershel and the other farm workers heading back to the house in shock (after a near-miss with Beth). The group members scattered as Shane and Rick pursued Hershel, tempers flaring, with the others watching warily. Rick and Shane confronted the group- and each other- and a tense argument followed, after which Hershel and his family shut themselves inside the farmhouse.

Later on, there was a decision made to bury the loved ones from inside the barn and burn the rest. Felicia was holding her breath as she helped load carcasses into the back of the blue pickup truck. She and Andrea sat in the back as it began to rumble away, with Teeth trotting behind it. Andrea yelled for them to stop when a dismembered arm fell out. Felicia saw Teeth approach it and sniff it several times curiously. She yelled at him to stop before he made the mistake of consuming any of it, and Andrea hurried to grab it and fling it back into the pile of Walker corpses. She yelled for T-Dog to start again, and they continued until they reached the burning site.

There, they set to work making piles of bodies. They left them there so they could reunite with the rest of the group to mourn Sophia. Ingrid, with some prompting from Daryl, reluctantly agreed to join the others, leaving Carol to her own grief.

When the service was over, Rick and Glenn left to go retrieve Hershel, who had eloped at some point but was needed to care for Beth, who seemed to have gone into shock. Felicia, who couldn't help wondering where Shane was, wandered around the farm until she saw him tending to a sorry-looking, dirty Carol. Recognizing a moment when she saw it, she retreated some distance so she could watch them (unbeknownst to either). When they had split up again, Felicia decided to approach Shane, who was looking out-of-place.

"That was nice of you," she remarked, gesturing at Carol, who was looking somewhat cleaner but still extraordinarily upset as she wandered back to camp.

Shane looked at her. "I didn't know Sophia was in the barn."

"I know," Felicia replied, jamming her hands in her pockets and walking next to him. "You wanna tell me what's really wrong, now?"

Shane stopped, staring at her as emotions played across his face. He looked ready to deny her this, but finally conceded. "Lori's pregnant." He looked at his feet.

Felicia's brow furrowed. "And?" she prompted. "What does that have to do with you?"

Shane gave her a long look, confirming something she had been wondering about since the incident at the CDC. "Ah," was all she said in response.

Shane scowled. "You gonna give me shit for that, too?"

"I've never given you shit," Felicia retorted.

"Well-"

"Look, what do you want me to say? Just tell me, and I'll say it."

Shane didn't respond. Instead, he gave her a look that said the conversation was finished, but didn't object as she accompanied him the rest of the way back to camp.


	13. Chapter 13

Triggerfinger

"I'm coming too," Felicia told Shane. It wasn't a request, but a statement. "If you're going after Lori, you're not going alone."

"You're not coming," Shane responded, not looking at her as he gathered his things and headed for his car.

He pulled open the car door but Felicia slammed it shut again. "Yes, I am."

"You're just gonna slow me down. I need to find Lori."

"I'll only slow you down more if you try to keep me here," Felicia retorted. "Now let me in the damn car. Teeth, shoo." She gestured at the dog, who looked at her skeptically before wandering off.

Shane looked ready to argue some more, but seemed to change his mind. He tilted his head at the passenger's seat, invitation enough for Felicia, who climbed in without a second thought. She wasn't about to let him go out on his own. And something made her want to see the dynamics between him and Lori.

They stopped briefly at the wreckage of her car before continuing, soon encountering Lori. Shane immediately stopped the car and got out, Felicia following. Shane set about trying to coax Lori into coming back with them as he examined her for injuries. Felicia stood back, not wanting to get in the way, but met Shane's steely gaze for a moment after he lied to Lori that the others were safe. Not wanting to complicate things further, she didn't bother to correct him, knowing that this would be the only way to get the disgruntled wife to return to the farm.

Felicia was planning on the back seat until Lori sprawled out there, looking dazed and traumatized but otherwise all right. She settled for the passenger's seat, getting in beside Shane and saying nothing as they headed back in the direction of the farm.

After getting back to the farmhouse, at which time the truth about Rick- and the baby- came out, Felicia found herself sitting uncomfortably in the living room while Lori and Carl discussed her pregnancy. Eventually the others took the hint and left the room, Felicia only reluctantly backing out to leave Shane to talk with Lori. She was unable to resist the temptation to listen in on them, especially now that she knew the true nature of their relationship, and ducked behind the doorway to eavesdrop. What she heard was disappointing but unsurprising. As the conversation continued, with increasing intensity, she kept wanting to leave, to get out of earshot before she heard anything else, but she felt rooted to the spot. Had she been misinterpreting this entire thing? No, she refused to believe that. But she hadn't been prepared to hear such earnestness from Shane. One thing was clear to her, however: she wasn't about to be a consolation prize. Regardless of whether he reciprocated her feelings, regardless of whether this was the apocalypse, she wasn't playing second best to Lori.

Setting her jaw, Felicia prepared to walk away when Shane emerged all of a sudden, looking flustered and upset. For the second time he had run into her outside a door, nearly killing her in the process. She took a step back, startled, and for a moment the two just looked at each other.

Shane swallowed hard. "Did you…?"

Felicia nodded. She had heard. Feeling her throat thicken, she said softly, "I get it."

Shane made a move towards her, looking unsure of himself, but she flinched away. "Please," she said. "Please don't."

Shane clenched his hands into fists at his sides, tearing his eyes from hers, which was a good thing, as this was the only thing that kept her from completely losing it. Turning brusquely away from him, Felicia walked out of the room and out of the house, the night air feeling good against her hot skin. No longer afraid of being seen, she let the tears roll down her face. She wasn't bawling, but she _was_ upset. And the quiet homestead was the only one she could share it with.

Ingrid was in the middle of concocting something nasty in a skillet for breakfast, with T-Dog looking at her disgustedly. The horrific nature of her cooking experiment was due in part to the hodgepodge of ingredients she had thrown in (canned cranberries, eggs, roast beef, and vodka, to name a few), as well as that she kept stealing glances at Daryl. She was hoping he would say something to her just so that she could make some snappy retort, but he was stubborn. If she wanted interaction, she'd have to initiate it, and she wasn't exactly looking forward to that conversation.

That was when the others returned, bringing with them a new face, and the possibility of new danger.


	14. Chapter 14

18 Miles Out

Ingrid was thinking about her feelings. This was something she wasn't used to doing, and she wasn't having a good time of it. She looked around to see if anyone else was having a bad time, which would make her feel better. Felicia looked extremely down about something, but whatever it was, Ingrid found it boring. She continued to draw shapes in the dirt with her crowbar (she wasn't nearly skilled enough with firearms for anybody to trust her with one), occasionally looking up to see what was happening around her. Daryl had disappeared after the Sophia incident, and her attempts to get him to open up had resulted in nothing but anger on both their ends.

She watched as Andrea approached the farmhouse, only to be shooed away by an infuriated Maggie, with Lori providing silent backup. Not wanting to get dragged into what had gone down, she returned her attention to the snail she had been doodling.


	15. Chapter 15

Judge, Jury, Executioner

Daryl had just returned from his unsavory interrogation of Randall. He was disclosing to the rest of the group what he had found out, and it was quickly decided that Randall would need to be eliminated. Dale balked at this, but Felicia was silent. Despite the fact that she was completely against killing the prisoner, there were other things on her mind.

The day went by (mostly) uneventfully. Dale tracked her down when she was eating lunch near her tent, and she knew what was coming before the words left his mouth. "This is about Randall, right?" she said after swallowing a mouthful of tuna sandwich.

Dale nodded. "You know this isn't right," he told her.

Felicia exhaled, looking up at him. "I may not agree with it, but I don't think that matters."

"Of course it matters!" protested Dale. "You have a voice in this group. If enough people think this is wrong, we don't have to kill that kid!"

"Look," Felicia said, "even if I tell them that, that's… what? Two of us? Versus how many? Everyone else, I bet. I don't think those are very good odds."

Dale shook his head. "That doesn't matter. If you stand up for what's right, others will, too. I won't let us lose our humanity along with everything else. I need your help, here."

Felicia rose, already decided. "All right," she said, standing up and brushing bread crumbs off her legs. Teeth, who had been asleep next to her, woke up and left to pee. "If you ask me to back you up, I will. But I've got a bad feeling about how this is gonna play out."

Dale, seeming satisfied by her response, thanked her and left to continue petitioning the other group members.

Ingrid was standing in the corner of the room as Dale made his argument to the group in favor of sparing Randall. Felicia had already piped up in his defense, and so had Andrea. Ingrid wanted to, but didn't want the group giving her the looks they had given the other two. She was watching the other survivors wearily, eyes flicking back and forth between Dale and Daryl, who was looking disinterested (that said, she wasn't sure what "interested" looked like on Daryl). Finally, clearing her throat, she took a step forward and mumbled, "Dale's right. We should… We… Let's not kill that kid."

The others remained silent, but she saw the gratitude on Dale's face as he continued with his pleading. The four protestors, however, were not enough to sway the consensus, and Dale stormed out when he realized that Randall would still die.

Felicia felt tears streaming down her face yet another time as she watched Dale, horrified. The Walker who had attacked him had been dispatched, but that didn't mean a thing. Dale was dying. There was a cluster of people around the older man, all of them in shock as he fought vainly for his life. She felt numb with grief. But there was nothing any of them could do.

Daryl freed his hand from Ingrid's crushing grip and stood over Dale before doing what had to be done.


	16. Chapter 16

Better Angels

After Dale's funeral, Felicia and several others were taking care of a few Walkers farther out on the farm, bludgeoning them with rakes and shovels so as not to attract attention via the noise. When that was done, they returned to the farmhouse, where everyone was moving in. Ingrid was watching Daryl with a look of sexual frustration on her face; if she got her way she would have the floor space closest to him. Felicia, on the other hand, while dealing with a certain level of sexual tension herself, would rather not be sleeping in a hot, dark house anywhere near the temperamental block of muscles that was Shane Walsh. That could lead her to do something very… stupid.

Teeth was staring down T-Dog over the space the man had already claimed, and Felicia was quick to set things right, shooing Teeth out of the farmhouse, much to T-Dog's relief. She still wasn't sure why those two never seemed to get along.

Things were happening. It had been relatively calm on the homestead until Shane had shown up, face covered in blood, screaming for Rick. He had been quick to tell them that Randall had overpowered him and was now in the woods with his gun. Felicia found this hard to believe. Randall was an injured, malnourished, petite boy who was probably younger than she was. And she would seriously doubt Shane's abilities if he was taken down by someone who probably weighed less than she did. She kept her mouth shut, however, stealing into the woods after Shane and Rick and trying to be as quiet as possible. With luck, she could observe things without him knowing. Why she wanted to stay hidden, she wasn't sure, but she had a queasy feeling she couldn't explain.

This was only confirmed when she saw what was going on between Shane and Rick in the field. She followed with Teeth, charging out of the woods just as Shane had pulled his gun on his friend. They heard her, turned around, and stared, uncomprehending, as she jogged the rest of the way to them, panting. "Shane!" she shouted. "What the _hell_ is wrong with you?"

"What are you-" Shane began, but she grabbed his collar and began chewing him out, shaking his shoulders for emphasis.

"You. Are. So. Freaking. Stupid!" She yelled. "You jealous piece of shit! Do you know what your problem is, Pal?" She didn't wait for a response. "You are so damn oblivious! Of _everything! _Every. Damn. Thing." Stopping to catch her breath, she relinquished his collar, taking a step backward so she could address the two men. "You people are idiots!" she yelled. "Especially you," she growled, rounding on Shane. "I've gotta tell ya, Buddy, you are about the most oblivious man I have ever known_._ Seriously! For God's sake, Shane, you killed Randall, led everyone out here, and now you're trying to kill Rick… All for what? Lori? Please!"

"Felicia, what are you doing?" demanded Rick, running a hand through his hair. He was unsure whether he should be chastising her or thanking her for interrupting this incident. He was ignored.

Shane was staring at her, dumbfounded. "You still don't get it, do you?" she cried, voice shrill.

"Felicia-"

"Not another word. Not one word," she said, clamping a hand over his mouth. "Listen to me. I'm not gonna wait around for you, Walsh." She removed her hand from his mouth just to grab him and kiss him, briefly but with enough force to make him take a step backward.

After that, she released him, turning around and beginning to walk off. Rick and Shane watched her, momentarily forgetting their previous dispute as they tried to process what had just happened. They were interrupted first by Carl, who had come wandering up at some point but stayed silent, and then by the sound of Walkers.


	17. Chapter 17

Beside the Dying Fire

Felicia was farther ahead than the rest of the group, who had put the night's feud behind them temporarily, thanks in large part to her. Shane, Carl, and Rick were some distance behind her, with the father and son duo close together and Shane alongside them, still somewhat stunned by her earlier actions.

They had only made it part of the way when Carl looked back and alerted Rick to a new development. Felicia and Shane stopped when Rick shouted in panic, turning around to see not just one or two, but an entire herd of Walkers making their way onto the premises. There was a brief pause before the group began stealth-sprinting as fast as they could back toward the homestead.

When they reached the farm, Rick and Carl were forced to split off and make for the barn; Felicia and Shane were left to seek shelter on top of the chicken coop. Shane took the liberty of shooting the Walkers as they came, while Felicia hauled Teeth onto the makeshift platform. It seemed like forever before the other survivors realized what was going on and began scattering about the farm, grabbing weapons and taking defensive positions while trying to keep track of loved ones. Andrea was already kicking ass, and Daryl was sprinting around the side of the farmhouse with Ingrid in tow.

Blood spilled onto the ground and body parts were torn from their hosts. Felicia clung to Shane while he took out the Walkers below them, but she knew they wouldn't last long if the walking corpses continued to besiege the chicken coop. Finally Shane said, "Come on," and, grabbing Felicia by the wrist, jumped down.

"What?" demanded Felicia as they began to sprint back toward the woods. "What are you- we can't just leave!"

"Yes, we can," Shane stated, not looking at her but keeping his grip on her. "Give me a reason."

"We-" But she was unable to come up with anything compelling as she glanced back to see a veritable ocean of Walkers spreading about the farm.  
"Back into the woods," Shane said roughly. "We can lose em' if we get far enough."

Felicia wanted to protest, but was out of breath and afraid. She trusted Shane, and it was obvious that the incident from earlier had gotten through to him.

Ingrid held onto the redneck she fancied as her friend (but secretly wished was more) for dear life as they sped away on his motorcycle. Carol had crammed into the pickup truck with Beth, T-Dog, and Lori before they had left, and Ingrid could only hope her mother would be safe in their hands.

Behind them, the farm burned.

"We're all infected." Ingrid's brow furrowed as Rick began to spill what he had known since the CDC, and as everyone reacted in their own way, all she could do was sidle up to Daryl and turn pale as Rick explained a truth he had known for some time. Afterwards, the group dispersed around the road where they had stopped. Andrea, Shane, and Felicia had not shown up at the highway, and it was likely that they wouldn't be reunited with them for some time, if at all. Shane and Felicia were survivors, and Ingrid had to admit that, besides Daryl, she would want Shane to have her back in the apocalypse. Andrea, although she was also tough, would only be able to fend off a herd of Walkers by herself for so long.

Later, as the day turned to night, the group made camp in the forest, where Rick would later inform everyone that this was no longer a democracy, and that if he was going to be the one to lead this group, they would have to go by his rules. Carol was talking with Hershel, and Ingrid was trying to find something to say to Daryl when he spoke first. "What are you lookin' at me for?"  
Ingrid, realizing that she had been staring, blushed and replied, "Nothing." Daryl looked back at the fire, but didn't move away. Ingrid took that as a good sign.

Felicia and Shane had made camp somewhere off the highway in the forest, which was full of Walkers but worth the risk if they were far enough away from them. Felicia was tending to a fire that was stubbornly refusing to get any bigger, and Shane was cleaning his gun. "Leave it alone," he told her after she piled more tinder on it for the umpteenth time.

Felicia gave in, and moved to sit beside Shane. He looked at her with an odd expression on his face, and she stared back, brow furrowed. She reached up to touch a scratch on his cheek, and he put his hand over hers. There was a moment where nothing seemed to be happening, and then his lips were on hers, and for a while she could forget that her entire world had come crashing down… again.


	18. Chapter 18

Seed

It had been several months since the group had escaped the Greene farm, breaking apart as they did so. Felicia and Shane had been traversing the woods, looking for survivors and establishment, for almost the entire time, without stopping in any place for very long. They had yet to reunite with the rest of the group or Andrea - assuming these were even still alive- and a haze had overtaken the pair as they explored. Felicia had become proficient in gun use thanks to Shane. She had returned the favor by putting up with his crap, providing a dog for scouting and hunting, and a lover, as well. This last bit was still new to her, and due to their lack of available birth control, sex wasn't at the top of their list (especially after the incident with Lori). All in all, they shot Walkers, searched for food, and occasionally slept together.

Shane was changing for the better. As his hair approached what it had been before they had come to the Greenes', so did his personality. Felicia suspected it was the combination of being away from Lori, as well as discovering his feelings for _her_, that was making him back into the man he once was. He made jokes again, talked to her about life before the Walkers, asked her questions she would never have thought of. This must have been what he was like as a cop: driven, noble, rough-around-the-edges but with a good heart. He even opened up a little about Lori, Rick, and Carl, but only a little. Felicia was sure to tread carefully with this subject, unsure of what would cause him to shut down.

Ingrid, too, was attempting to navigate a new romance with the group's favorite redneck, but hers wasn't going nearly as smoothly as Felicia's. Daryl seemed to have an aversion to physical contact of any kind, with anyone, which made things difficult. Although they had become closer since the episode with Sophia, he still stubbornly refused her attempts to connect to him, even when she was doing her best to be less bitchy. She often found it easier to just get mad at him, which led to arguments and flaring tempers. She was making progress, however, slow as it was, and her prodding and occasional flirting was being better-received than before. He would probably never really be with her, but she could at least try to extract the good from him.

The group had found a prison, a "gold mine" as Rick had put it, but one that was crawling with Walkers. While they had secured the outside, Ingrid still felt uneasy about spending the night in a dark, cold, concrete building. There was no knowing what was hidden in the bowels of the jail, and although Daryl's frustrated attempts at teaching her how to use guns were slowly taking effect, she wasn't idiot enough to assume she could protect herself.

She began to relax as the rest of the group did, noting how Carl seemed joined at the hip with Beth. It was adorable. If Beth didn't cash out on that scraggly, gun-toting youth, Ingrid would be disappointed.

But she shook herself, realizing how stupid she looked standing in the middle of the cell block. Enough investing in other people's romances.

"What're you doin?'" Daryl demanded as she plopped her sleeping bag down next to his. The others had found cells, but she wasn't going to let her "boyfriend" sleep out here all by himself, crossbow or no.

"Going to bed," she replied tartly, not making eye contact with him.

"No one told you to come out here."

"Well, I'm here," Ingrid said, unfazed. Then, feeling bold, she added, "Scared to sleep next to a girl?"

Daryl glared at her. "Just keep quiet," he told her. "I'm not screwin' around."

The double entendre was not lost on her. She snickered, wriggled into her sleeping bag, and shut her eyes, acutely aware of Daryl's significant presence beside her. Calming as she listened to his breathing, she allowed herself some much-needed rest.

Now she watched, repulsed, as Rick took an axe to Hershel's leg, and that calm of a few hours ago couldn't have seemed so far away. Hershel didn't stay awake- either due to the pain or blood loss- and the group waited tensely as Rick finished the "procedure". Walkers. She had no idea how many there were, but there were a lot. And now their only doctor was at risk of becoming one of them. She shook her head, fingering the butt of her pistol as time seemed to slow down. If they wanted the prison, they would need a better system. One that didn't involve putting necessary people at risk. Because there was a baby on the way, and as far as she knew, that was the least of their troubles.


	19. Chapter 19

Sick

A lot of things were happening at once. Ingrid had just heard a voice exclaim, "Oh, shit," and, turning around, saw a cluster of obviously-not-Walkers staring at the group. There was no time to occupy themselves with their new guests, however; Hershel was going to bleed out if they didn't do something about his leg. Rick and the others hauled the unconscious veterinarian onto a platform and began the race back to their own cell block, the prisoners following.

Ingrid watched in numb silence as the group raced against time to tend to Hershel's injury, with Rick meanwhile in a heated argument with the prisoners, who weren't about to play nice with the group.

They didn't know. How could they? They'd been in jail this whole time. They hadn't been exposed to the outside- for all they knew, the apocalypse hadn't happened. But it wasn't her responsibility to handle the prisoners. She was all too happy to stay behind and help with Hershel; she wasn't about to be stuck in a dark, confined space with a bunch of convicts. No, thank you. Ingrid instead helped Carol keep pressure on Hershel's bleeding leg, while the others who remained behind scrambled to make treatment easier.

Time ticked on. Ingrid paced the cell, torn between worry about Daryl (stupid, she knew) and concern for Hershel. After a tense exchange between Carl and Lori, there followed a terrifying moment when Lori gave Hershel mouth-to-mouth, after which he started, scaring everyone in the cell. Carol and Glenn had gone on some unknown expedition, and all they could do now was sit and wait.

At long last Rick and the others returned, with two of the prisoners in tow. Rick had a cold expression on his face, and as he laid down the ground rules, Ingrid found herself shuffling up to Daryl. "Everything all right?" she murmured. He grunted something in response.


	20. Chapter 20

Walk With Me

Felicia and Shane knew they weren't the only ones who had seen the helicopter crash. But this didn't stop them from going to investigate. Shane, drawing his gun, approached the line where the trees ended and gave way to the clearing where the vehicle had fallen. Felicia followed suit, yanking the rifle she was still learning how to use off her back and pointing it at the ground as they moved forward. What they saw was… unsettling. The remains of the helicopter were scattered around the clearing, with smoke and debris cluttering up everything in sight. "Should we…?" Felicia prompted, turning to Shane. But he silenced her with a hand, taking her upper arm and pulling her forward.

That was when she saw what Shane had seen earlier: there were _humans_ entering the clearing. There were at least four, possibly more, but it was hard to tell through the thick foliage. They were quickly assessing the damage, and beginning to take out the Walkers in the clearing with cold and calculated efficiency. The tall, debonair-looking one seemed to be the leader, and he had a certain calm about him that contrasted sharply with his minions.

"What the hell?" Shane murmured, reaching out and brushing one of the branches out of his face to get a better look. This was just in time for them to catch sight of the mystery group assassinating the still-human crash victims, and that was enough to put Felicia on edge. She grabbed Shane's wrist, panicked, and he just nodded in understanding.

The two were about to turn around when all of a sudden there was a Walker in front of them. Where had it even come from?! Making a noise that sounded like a cross between a hiss and a gurgle, it lurched forward, and it was all Felicia could do not to scream. Teeth was hanging back, a low growl erupting from between his jaws.

There was no time. Shane put a bullet between the Walker's eyes before they could even think, and the sound echoed through the clearing. The mystery group's members' heads shot up simultaneously, with the handsome leader's eyes narrowing, and looking directly at Felicia and Shane. He muttered something to one of his lackeys, the one with the bow, who drew an arrow and cautiously approached Felicia and Shane. "Shit," Shane said, raising his gun. They might be able to take a single bowman, but… No, that wasn't happening. Felicia heard the safety click off a pistol directly behind her head, and shut her eyes, lowering her own gun. They were screwed.

Seeing not only Andrea and her katana-wielding cohort, but the now one-armed Merle, back at the mystery group's base was almost too much for the sleep-deprived, filthy couple to handle. Teeth had been confiscated at some point during the trip over, which upset Felicia, along with their guns, which upset Shane. Not that he really needed guns when it came down to it, but he wasn't fond of power trips. Felicia could only nod weakly as Merle, Michonne, Andrea, and Shane argued over their future, as well as discussed what had befallen their old group. Eventually the reason for the mystery man's attack of humans came out, and this was the most unsettling part. Shane practically tackled Merle when he heard this, but was stopped by Felicia, who found the redneck surprisingly civilized given everything that had happened.

The man they would eventually come to know as "The Governor" was next to enter the room where they were being held. What followed was a tense explanation of where they were- Woodbury was the name of the town- and then a tour of the premises, during which all four captives were shown the so-called paradise. Michonne and Andrea separated and headed for their sleeping quarters, while Shane and Felicia were escorted to theirs, a second-story room in a rustic, inviting cottage, a place Felicia would have found blissful if they weren't in the middle of the apocalypse.

Shane shooed their guide out of the room as quickly as he could. Felicia could see the veins sticking out from his neck as he fought to keep a handle on his temper. Shutting the door forcefully as soon as they were alone, the ex-cop put his hands on hips the way he always did when he was either pissed off or really stressed. "This is bullshit."

"Which part?" Felicia asked dryly. "Them taking away our guns? Or this whole hotel setup? 'Cause right now I'm a little freaked out by all of this."

"We're not prisoners," Shane said, ignoring her sarcasm. "That asshole wants to lock us up. We didn't do anything."

"No, we didn't," Felicia agreed. "What do you wanna do?"

Shane pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling. "We're getting out of here."

"What about our weapons?"

"Tomorrow we're gonna get them back. Then we're gonna grab Andrea and what's-her-name and get the hell out of this place. I'm not staying here any longer than I have to."

"You don't want to…?" Felicia asked hesitantly. Shane looked at her. "You just want to leave?"

"Why? Do you wanna stay?"

"Nope," Felicia replied, not missing a beat.  
"Good," Shane said, pulling her close and kissing the top of her head.

"Good," Felicia echoed, and the two of them, in agreement, got into bed and let themselves relax. It was the comfiest she had been in a very long time. She could almost imagine things were back to normal…


	21. Chapter 21

The Killer Within

Ingrid was holding her tongue as the group continued with their cleaning project, hauling dead bodies to and fro. She continuously stole glances around the prison yard, trying to find the man she had decided she loved, but was taken aback when she saw Hershel and a group of assistants emerging from the prison. For a few moments, things started to look up as Hershel took a few tentative steps with his newly-amputated leg (not without help from crutches). Then everything turned to shit very quickly. All at once alarms were blaring and a herd of Walkers was descending upon the prison yard. Before she knew what was happening, Ingrid was running up the stairs with Beth, Hershel right behind them as he beat a Walker with one of his crutches. Still more capable of somehow shooting one of her own than the Walkers, Ingrid elected not to try and fight, as the others seemed to have them under control. She wasn't quite sure what was happening because her ears were covered, but she was pretty sure that what followed was chaos.

Felicia and Shane had ended up not making a daring escape just yet, partially because Andrea and Michonne hadn't left yet, either (they had reunited with one of their former companions and they were going to stick together, dammit!) and partially because Felicia hadn't had scrambled eggs in a long time.

Shane and Felicia were now wandering the town, Shane with an arm slung around her shoulders casually, but glaring. Merle had already made several comments about her ass and said something about not minding "beating that rug a few times"- whatever the hell _that_ meant. But she supposed Shane was intimidating enough to keep the harassment to a minimum.

Michonne had more than once voiced misgivings, trying to communicate her suspicions about the Governor and his mission to the military base, but the two of them couldn't take anything for granted. Shane obviously had his doubts, but on the off chance that Woodbury really was the oasis it looked like, they needed to at least hang around, if only until Andrea wanted to leave. For now, this was all they could do.

Ingrid watched as the battered prison survivors emerged from the building, doing a mental tally of who was still there as each person emerged. Suspense gave way to grief when one of the groups confirmed the deaths of Carol and T-Dog, at which Ingrid, ears ringing, burst into tears. Staggering down the steps and waving off Beth's well-intentioned condolences, she sagged against the wall, sliding onto the ground and curling up into a ball. Daryl wordlessly sat down beside her, not moving to comfort her but not making it worse.

Maggie and Carl followed soon after, the former clutching a tiny, blanket-wrapped object that turned out to be a baby. That could only mean one thing. As the truth about Lori came out, now it was Rick's turn to have a meltdown. There was nothing to be done as the group collectively mourned its newest casualties.


	22. Chapter 22

Say the Word

Rick was absent, likely chopping Walkers into little pieces somewhere in the prison. The rest of the group was trying to decide what to do with the baby, who Hershel said wouldn't live long without formula. Maggie and Daryl decided to go out in search of food, while the others could only wait nervously.

The excitement of the barbecue had barely faded when Shane, Felicia, and Andrea were confronted with a new challenge: Michonne was causing more problems. Apparently she had broken into the Governer's place earlier to retrieve her katana, before slaughtering half a dozen Walkers intended for "research". Now she, Michonne, Shane, and Teeth stood in front of the gates, with Andrea weakly protesting from behind them. "No," Shane snapped, not looking back. "That's some sick shit," he added, gesturing for emphasis as he referred to Michonne's findings.

"Felicia," Andrea pleaded, giving up bickering with Shane and approaching her. "Don't you think you're making the wrong choice? You haven't been here long."

"Andrea, I-"

"You might not find a place like this again."

Felicia, torn, looked from the blonde woman to Shane. It was clear whose side she would take when push came to shove- eight months had done nothing but make her and Shane inseparable- but her stress levels had been lower during their brief stay at Woodbury than they had been in almost a year. She understood where Andrea was coming from- how easy would it be to shove aside misgivings and stay in this near-perfect refuge? But there was no way she could. Not now, not after Michonne's warnings. They had encountered plenty of sick bastards since the beginning of the apocalypse, but this took the cake. Either Andrea came, or she didn't. But they were leaving. Now.

Murmuring a brief goodbye to Andrea, Felicia took Shane's calloused hand and the two of them made for the gates, Teeth following. Michonne was a little behind, still tense from her parting with Andrea, but that was all right. They had barely exchanged three words with the swordswoman, and that wasn't going to change. Michonne had her own agenda, and as the gates rumbled shut behind them, Felicia and Shane could only meet her gaze before they split off and headed back into the wilderness.

Ingrid, who had almost dropped the baby within thirty seconds of being handed her, had given the infant back to Daryl, who had scowled at her ineptitude before resuming his surrogate mother duties. Ingrid, heart melting, could only think, _I really do love him_. If only he felt the same way.


	23. Chapter 23

Hounded

"What the hell…?" Shane murmured tensely as the two of them rounded a corner and found themselves staring at not only Glenn and Maggie, but also Merle. The former two had their guns drawn, and Merle was attempting to negotiate, his back to them. Maggie noticed Shane and Felicia, and her eyes widened. Glenn followed her line of sight and looked ready to jump out of his skin when he saw what she was looking at. He opened his mouth slightly to say something, but Shane shook his head warningly, and Glenn took the hint. There was mention of a prison, as well as the rest of Rick's group.

"What do we do?" hissed Felicia, holding Teeth back with one hand.

Shane took the safety off his pistol, but held up a hand to quiet her as the subject of Rick came up. Felicia looked at the ground, unsure how to react. The group was alive! Well, most of the group, anyway.

When she looked up again, Merle had Maggie restrained against a car, with Glenn now the one having to negotiate. Neither Shane nor Felicia could make out what was said, but the three soon piled into a car and sped off in the direction of Woodbury.

That was when Michonne emerged. Shane aimed his gun at her, but Felicia shoved his arm down. "What was that?" she demanded, holstering her gun and approaching the wounded swordswoman.

All Michonne could do was shake her head and continue to clutch at her wounds. Felicia and Shane looked at each other. "They said somethin' about Rick and the others," Shane stated.

"And a prison," Felicia added. "Is that where they are?"

"Must be," said Michonne, hand on the hilt of her sword.

"So," Felicia said tentatively, looking to Shane. "What do you think?"

Shane took a while to respond, first pinching the bridge of his nose and then running a hand through his hair. Finally he said, "We've been running long enough. If they'll take us back, we'll go to the prison."

"And Rick…?" prompted Felicia carefully.

Shane looked at her. "He's my brother. I screwed it up. And I'm gonna fix it, if I can."

"And Lori?" This was the harder question. Even though she thought she knew how he felt, Felicia couldn't fight the insecurity that surrounded Shane's relationship with Rick's wife. And Shane had played his cards close to the vest on this one.

Shane exhaled, taking a couple steps toward her and putting a hand on her shoulder. "I don't love her anymore."

Felicia smiled slightly, crossing her arms. "And why is that?"

"You gonna make me spell it out?" Shane was half-smiling, too. Felicia nodded, grin getting bigger. "I love you," Shane told her.

"About damn time," Felicia said, and embraced him. And it was. _About damn time._

Their revelation was interrupted when Michonne cleared her throat, picking up the discarded box of baby supplies and turning in the direction of the prison. "You guys coming or not?"


End file.
